wlciii

Mine was signed by "Suzanne L. Rubin - President, AAdvantage Loyalty Program" so that's definitely interesting....and I'd agree you're invite is likely is b/c of your corporate account.

But, just as an FYI, when we left AA for UA as preferred 2 years ago, AA gave out CK to people in my office like candy (basically any EXP qualifier that year). Guess they figured if they couldn't get the full contract they'd at least try to entice people to bend the rules...not a bad strategy in my opinion.

george 3

Well, I may be an exception to the theories of status due to a corporate relationship with AA.

I'm beginning my second full year as EXP, last year had about 129k EQMs/119k EQPs and probably $35,000 spend for me with another $6,000 spend for family members flying with me. I think 6 r/t J class transcons, 3 r/t F to PHX, one one-way F/J to BCN. Plus two of my staff members have been flying more AA (one did a late December MR to get to Plat, the other is solid GLD), with a spend of say another $15,000. Sometimes there is a PNR tie-in to get my colleagues an upgrade when traveling with me, and perhaps that's how they track it as there is no formal AAirpass or corporate travel arrangement.

I received my email this evening congratulating me on achieving CK status from Suzanne Rubin. Had to call EXP line this evening to pay for a ticket for a family member. The call was picked up by CK specialist. Very friendly, very helpful, definitely the "A" team.

Apparently AC membership comes with this perk ?

elitetraveler

Unless the corporate travel manager gave them the OK, it could backfire as it potentially undermines the corporate travel policy. However, it probably depends on the company.

griffingrowl

I have been CK for 2011 and 2012 and agree that staff at DFW are stretched thin. ORD team has always been awesome.

DALtoAAL

I got the "Welcome Back" email today, signed by VP, Global Sales. I scored 110k EQM / 65k EQS, so not very heavy traveler on my own. But I have directed business to AA from my peers, maybe 50 Transatlantic r/ts and four newly minted AA GOLD's last year. This will be my second year as CK, fairly happy with the program. CK agents in ORD have really made the difference!

sainbel69

I got also an email today and I was very surprised as I stop to use my AA acount for 2-3 years and replaces by the BA card which allow access to loundge with Sapphire status.

So today I got the Concierge Key with a 0 balance on my AA, very strange to be honest.

The concern I have, and I 'm willing to switch back to aa at least to have the benefit of the upgrades and all those linked to CK but in one year I'm pretty sure to not reach the 100k miles to reniew the EXP and will loose the free subscribtion to Admiral clubs which is included in the BA.

thanks for your advices

newaroundhere

Got my 'welcome back' letter last night. Interesting - the picture of the CK card is different than the one I have for this year. The only change worth noting is that the oneworld Emerald logo is on the card - one step closer to making CK a formal level within AAdvantage?

Benefits appear to be the same.

RealFan

When CK becomes an official level above EXP, I can see myself flying AA exclusively. As a current GS at UA, I enjoy the preboards and five day advance upgrades. I am hoping that AA will take CK and do something similar (e.g., revenue based program).

newaroundhere

extra SWUs have posted

dmsdfw

I'd say that 65,000 segments makes you a very heavy traveler.

magellan01

I got the email earlier this week - and I see extra SWUs posted as of January 10, 2012. They expire Feb 2014, so I would think these complimentary ones are just misdated 2012, and it should have been Jan 10, 2013? Did yours also have the wrong date?

newaroundhere

Mine said Jan 9 2013

Upgraded!

More likely a strategy on AA's part to entice employees to lean on the corporate travel department to go back to AA. Why continue to make sales calls when the customers can do it for you .

wlciii

Not to take this thread off track, but....

I've never heard of an airline having to get permission from a company to give it's employees status.

AA is savvy enough to know that many policies have a lot of "flexibility" if a traveler knows what they are doing (e.g., selecting first or last flights that don't offer alternatives from preferred airline(s), etc.). This is especially true in hub markets like DFW where AA just has many many more options than anyone else.

Giving individual travelers incentives to remain loyal is why loyalty programs were started in the first place. When AA expects to lose a big group of high value corporate flyers to another airline, I think offering their highest "status" is a good way to try and keep as much of the business as possible.

magellan01

Hmm, called CK - they don't "give" additional SWUs for getting CK. So either you are special, or perhaps it depends how you got it? I am sure I got it from my corporate travel deal, despite earning EXP for the last 10 years (based on what I see in this forum and what some folks have done). And my email was from the sales dept, not from customer loyalty. Perhaps another piece to the puzzle?

I will get additional SWUs for going over 125K, but that is different. Oh well, I will settle.